Thanks Kate. But I will be using the entire (almost former) azalea bed for the roses. The azaleas will go to a different side of my yard. The reason I asked about the bed, is that initially, the top six to eight inches of the soil was removed and replaced with acid soil for azaleas. For the next several years the whole bed was fertilized with more acidic fertilizer. I was hoping to remove the top 12 inches or so (azalea roots are very close to the surface) and replace it with soil from the area where I will be putting the azaleas (virgin territory) and then amend the whole 'stripped' bed with EB Stone Rose soil and added compost. What do you think? Will that work? Thanks again, andrea

Florence, Thank you for sharing pictures of your beautiful azaleas. I attended the Azalea Society of America's conference two weekends ago. One garden that we toured belongs to a gentleman who hybridizes azaleas as a stress reliever from his job. He raises about 1500 plants from seed each year. The ones which do not meet his selection criteria, he gives away or tosses. He offered free azaleas to anyone who wanted them. I went back to see him this past weekend and he sent me home with around 100 plants of all sizes. As they are mostly from the same crosses, they are different, but yet they compliment each other very well. Here is a picture I took of one which he introduced. Hopefully one day my plants will be a nice as yours! Kathy

Azaleas - Decide where you are going to plant them and prepare the holes before digging the plants. Cut the plants way back, down to bare wood. Leave about 6 to 10 inches of limbs. Dig them with as much root ball as possible. Dampen the root ball when you pull the plant out of the hole. Take the plant home and plant it in the prepared hole. Water - Water - Water. The plants will begin to put out new leaves in a short time. Water well all this first summer and especially this autumn. First watering and then one watering every month should be with 1/2 strength 20-20-20 water soluable fertilizer. If you can plant them in a shady place, so much the better. Yellow Bell forsythia: surest way is by layering. Take some 3 or 5 gallon pots of soil to Mom & Dad's. Put it under the forsythia bush, bend a low limb down to the pot and place some more soil over the limb. Weight it down with a brick. Impose on Mom to water it daily. By summer's end, it will be well rooted. Same may go for the rose, just depends on variety.

Can any azalea buffs help me identify this coral variety? One of my four died and I want to buy a replacement. They are 2' tall and 3' wide, and in full bloom now (zone 7, NC Piedmont). Thanks in advance!